Loving Arms

There's something about this picture that comforts me.

Solid

Warm

Home

Like being held in a loving father's arms.

I took this photo of my husband's studio

on October 5th 

after a light dusting of snow.

It was the first snow of the season.
No snowfall since.

It's so dry here. 

We badly need moisture.

A fire started October 9 in nearby 
Rocky Mountain National Park.
and has burned over 3,000 acres. 

It's 88% contained now.

We were under pre-evacuation notice for awhile. 

One structure was lost in the Park.

No lives were lost. 

Thank God for that.

Now my mind shifts to another barrenness;
A dryness of the soul.
 I think about the grieving in Newtown, Connecticut.

And I pray that my Heavenly Father will quench those 

thirsty

grieving

hearts

as only He can.

That He will hold them in His loving arms.

Life is fragile.

So 

fragile.

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end

    and the number of my days;

    let me know how fleeting my life is.

You have made my days a mere handbreadth;

    the span of my years is as nothing before You.

Everyone is but a breath,

    even those who seem secure."

Psalm 39:4-5

Thank you for visiting.

Today I'm sharing with

Homesteader Barns

The barns I'm showing you today are closer to home than usual. This one is across the street from our neighbor's horse corral. We're told this was the barn for the original homestead where we live now. This is a side view.

This is the front view of the barn.

And another front view.

This is the barn on our property which originally started out as a log cabin for the homesteaders, who also built the barn shown at the top of this page. (Still with me?) If you look closely you'll see the loft door. Story has it the loft and the barn doors were added later, after the homestead was sold to  Estes Park Dairy.

We converted the barn to an art studio for my husband, removing the barn doors to install a window. I love this shot because it shows the reflection of the mountain in the glass. By the way, we reused the wood from the barn doors to build the wall for the window. We wanted to maintain the barn's integrity.

This is a view of the studio/barn interior.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Blessings,

Nancy

Today I'm joining all the wonderful bloggers @ 

Barn Charm. 

Sashay on over there and catch the barn fever.

and Our World TuesdayGet an Eyeful of Great Photos from Around the World

Fall at the Homestead

Fall has descended on the Reinke homestead. We feel it in the cool morning air, as we pull on our sweaters. The deciduous trees have made a wardrobe change, too, with their splendid yellow and orange leaves. After months of blending in with the conifers, they now triumphantly stand out from the crowd. 

Steaming mugs of coffee seem even more inviting these days. And soup? Well, even Campbell's will suffice when there's a chill in the air. 

I enjoy all the autumn signs here in Estes Park, but the one that stirs my heart the most is the Fall rut. There's nothing like it. To see our magnificent bull elk this time of year is breathtaking. 

Tuesday morning Dennis and I took a short drive and discovered this bull grazing in a field east of town. Dennis whistled at him, hoping he'd look up so I could get a good photo. Mr. Elk kept right on eating. Then Dennis honked the truck horn. That did it. The bull raised his head and began sniffing the air. Content that no opponent lurked in the area, he returned to his grazing. But not before I got this photo. (The dark areas on his body are wet spots from an apparent dip in a nearby lake.)

Smoke from the barn's chimney is another sign of Fall's arrival.

Workers installed the new wood-burning stove in the studio yesterday. The blue and white square behind the can is the top of an empty milk carton. Dennis says waxed cartons are great for kindling. I had no idea, but I'm glad since Estes doesn't accept these for recycling. (One of these days I'll do a blog on the bag trash program we employ at the homestead.)

I'm just as excited about the barn's rebirth as I am the cabin remodel. Dennis' paintings seem to belong here. . .

Studio Entrance South Wall

Studio Entrance North Wall

North Wall

North Wall

Southeast Corner

South Wall

Southwest Corner

West Wall

Is it just me -- or do these photos suggest "Fall"?

I think I need to add some pumpkins. Maybe some cornstalks and Indian corn, too.


We'll be ready for the Estes Park Art Studio Tour this Saturday.



"Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees." --

Faith Baldwin


Nancy